"Even leaving aside all the spin-off series and Next Generation films, the Starfleet uniform of the original Enterprise crew has changed considerably over the years. From the brightly coloured and iconic looks of the '60s through the neutral monstrosities of The Motion Picture and back again, this uniform is more than just something for Captain Kirk to shred so he can better show his manly chest. We called our fashion expert, Hello Tailor's Gavia Baker-Whitelaw, to talk us through the history of the Enterprise style…"Main pagelink

Some of this article needs further documentation or support. I remember reading interviews and background features when Wrath of Khan came out, and the new producer/director team talked about how they WANTED to give the uniforms a more military look. And given the budgets, I had a hard time believing the old Star Trek I movie unis were simply recycled with new dye. The materials and design don't look at all the same to me. The Wrath of Khan period unis have a lot more visible weight and bulk to them (and not just on the actors!)

The uniforms that the officers wore were new, the uniforms that the enlisted ranks wore were the old uniforms. The article did not make that clear or got it wrong. The clearest example is in Star Trek VI, the two guys that did the hit job on the Klingon were enlisted – which also shows how many of those old TMP uniforms must have been sitting around.

I thought the Forbidden Planet (Queen of Outer Space) Earth spacemen uniforms were better than ST. Plus QOOS had the colored Venus lady uniforms.

I can understand that Wrath of Khan wanted more military uniforms. The reason Kirk won the tactical battle with Khan because he had 3D ship combat tactical training. If the Federation wasn't a military organization it's officers would not be sent to War colleges.